Nigeria improves in corruption ranking despite having the same points

(Editor’s note: Our initial interpretation contained in the previously published version of this report has been determined to be inaccurate. Contrary to our initial report, further review of the Transparency International index shows that while Nigeria’s points remain the themselves, their position among the 180 countries evaluated has improved, the error is regretted).

Nigeria has moved up four places in the last 2022 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) although the West African country did not improve on the previous year’s points, according to a new index published by Transparency International (TI).

TI’s partner in Nigeria, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), released the report in Abuja on Tuesday morning.

Despite maintaining its previous score of 24 out of 100 points in the 2021 assessment, Nigeria’s position rose to 150th in the new index compared to its position of 154 out of 180 countries assessed in the 202 ranking.

“There has been no change in the country score between 2021 and 2022. In the country comparison for the 2022 CPI, Nigeria ranks 150 out of 180 countries compared to 154 in the 2021 CPI results,” he said. the executive director of CISLAC, Auwal Musa, in a statement. statement announcing the new ranking on Tuesday.

Musa said that while the index does not show specific incidences of corruption in the country, it does indicate the perception of corruption in Nigeria.

“The index is impartial, objective and globally recognized as the most widely used cross-country parameter to measure corruption,” he said.

The CPI is the IT tool to measure the levels of corruption in the systems of various countries around the world. The maximum points that a country can obtain is 100 points and the minimum is zero. Zero means the worst score and 100 the best.

The latest ranking may be an indicator that the country’s anti-corruption fight has stalled and produced few results.

To delay

The pardon granted by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to two jailed former governors, Joshua Dariye of Plateau state and Jolly Nyame of Taraba state, in 2022 is seen by many as a major setback for the country’s anti-corruption efforts.

By the time the two former governors were pardoned in April 2022, the Supreme Court had upheld their convictions and sentences and they still had to serve half of their prison time.

The prosecution of the former governors started during the previous administration lasted for more than 10 years with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) having to spend scarce public funds to see the case through to the end.

In previous years, Nigeria has experienced a consecutive drop in the CPI ranking. He scored 26 in 2019, 25 in the 2020 assessment, and 24 in the latest record in 2021.

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Nigerian authorities, on the other hand, have always criticized any unfavorable TI report that points to worsening corruption in the country.

He claimed last year, in reaction to the 2021 assessment, that the world anti-corruption body lacked the basis on which it could rank Nigeria.

The IT president speaks

According to the president of Transparency International, Delia Rubio, global corruption levels have stagnated for 11 years in a row.

“Corruption has made our world a more dangerous place. With governments collectively failing to make progress against them, they fuel the current surge in violence and conflict, and endanger people everywhere. The only way out is for states to do the hard work, rooting out corruption at all levels to ensure that governments work for all people, not just a minority.”